Imaginary
by Sir Lofty
Summary: Bakura has won. The world has been plunged into an eternal darkness and with Ryou acting as the remnants of light how can he hope to retain his santiy? A three-shot inspired by the song Imaginary by Evanescence. (Not a songfic)
1. Imaginary Part 1

Imaginary Part 1

Darkness greeted Ryou's eyes as he awoke. And not just any darkness, an unmatural darkness, one that was accustomed to consuming any and all light… an eternal darkness. Ryou's eyes tried in vain to adjust to the darker-than-pitch black lighting. The young boy sat up feeling the biting cold around him, he instantly drew his knees up to his chest in a pathetic attempt to warm himself. The smell of blood hung thick in the air almost choking the little hikari. Alongside the dark, that scent was something that Ryou could never get used to, but that was probably only because he knew that the blood he smelled every day was no longer just his own. Or maybe it was the fact that every time he breathed in that metallic scent, he was reminded of the times when he'd been forced to watch Yugi and all the others be tortured to death.

Ryou shook his head trying to clear his mind of the frightening images of his friend's mutilated bodies and the horrible screams of agony that accompanied them. But try as he might the white haired boy could never forget the horrible events that came after the defeat of Yugi and his Yami, the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh. Ryou shuddered. The boy hadn't been the only one forced to watch the slow and painful deaths of his friends, Atem had been there too. Bakura had kept him around the longest, saving him for last. The former thief king wanted Atem to see everyone he cared for be tortured and killed just as he had been forced to watch the entire village of Kul Elna destroyed. He wanted to keep the pharaoh alive long enough to see the extent of his failures, to see the world coverd in blood and bathed in eternal night. And by the time Bakura had finished his torture of Yugi, Atem had begun begging for death.

Ryou remembered the way Bakura had laughed when the "Great Pharaoh Atem" had sunk to his knees before the white haired thief and pleaded for death. It wasn't until the moment he saw Atem fall to the ground, eyes devoid of life, that Ryou realized just how much he envied all of his friends. They were granted death. It may not have been quick and painless but at least they were free from this evil world while he was forever chained to it. Ryou sighed as he stood up from the small corner of the room where he usually slept and stretched his limbs. He may not even been able to see, but he'd memorized this place not long after Bakura brought him here. He wasn't exactly sure where or how big the building was but he was sure that his yami had a room around here as well and Ryou didn't really want to spend more time with his "other half" then he had to now that they were separated. Therefore he refrained from wandering outside of his room.

All Ryou wanted to do was get to the window which stood exactly eighty-seven steps away from his sleeping-corner. The white haired boy took small quiet steps across the room silently counting as he went. 'Eighty-five, eighty-six, eight-seven'. Ryou looked up, turned, and began to gently feeling around the wall until his fingers touched the hem of a curtain. He pulled at the rough fabric and sighed as moon light filled the room. Ryou smiled, soaking in all the light he could before it left again. The moon was something that had survived the chaos and death and although it didn't appear as often, (or maybe it did and the "days" were simply longer, he wasn't sure anymore) it still shone just as brightly as it had before Bakura had won the Earth for Zorc. Ryou kept his large brown eyes fixed on the moon and allowed himself to relax in its comforting glow. It was in these moments that the young hikari could dream of the day when no longer had to live in darkness, the day he would finally be embraced by the cold arms of death and join his friends, his parents, and his dear little sister in the afterlife. Ryou sighed "Just wait for me Amane, I'll see you soon I promise." he whispered softly. His thought were interrupted by a loud dramatic sigh. "How many times have I told you hikari, the dead can't hear you." Ryou shivered at the sound of his yami's voice. Without turning to face him he replied "I don't know Bakura you seem to hear me just fine." Bakura laughed and Ryou had to suppress a sigh. He hadn't meant to be funny. When Bakura finally ceased to laugh he spoke again "I suppose you're right little one, but weren't you the one who said it was wrong to make promises if you couldn't keep them?" But before Ryou could respond Bakura grabbed his shoulders and roughly forced his back against the cold stone wall.

A/N Hello everyone, I'm Sir Lofty and this is the first chapter to my first story. It's a three-shot and don't worry the next chapters will be longer. I hope you enjoy this and please leave all of your questions, concerns comments, complaints, and or compliments in the reviews.

Shits and Giggles -Lofty

P.S Sorry about the typos my computer was bing an ass, but its all good. I fixed it.


	2. Imaginary Part 2

Imaginary Part 2

The air was still as Bakura held Ryou to the wall. Ryou kept his eyes screwed shut expecting to be hit. The thief grabbed his chin "Look at me." he ordered, the white haired boy opened his large doe eyes and starred up at the man. Bakura had always been taller than him but he was even more so now that he had his own body which looked as it had in ancient Egypt. In addition to becoming taller, the tomb robber was broader, more muscular with tanned skin and scars everywhere. The most prominent being a vertical scar with two horizontal ones crossing over it just underneath his right eye, which were now a striking lavender color. Ryou had found it to be the slightest bit ironic that his yami still had white hair. Bakura laughed, causing another shiver to travel down the boy's spine Bakura noticed and gave a smirk. "I have no intentions of allowing you to die Yadounshi, after all wouldn't it be ungrateful of me to subject my precious host to share in the fate of all of those other pathetic mortals?"

Ryou clenched his fists "Former host," he replied never losing eye contact with his yami "you don't need me anymore." The thief scoffed "Come now Ryou after housing my spirit for such a long while" Bakura let go of his chin and began stroking his hair in an almost comforting manner "sparing your life and keeping you safe is the least I can do" Ryou shook his head "You're lying" Bakura grinned "Always". He tried to push him away but Bakura only took hold of his wrists and pressed him further into the wall. "No, stop! Bakura please just tell me the truth!" he yelled. "Why? Why are you keeping me here when you no longer need me…" Ryou took a shaky breath, his voice quieter now "I mean, you got what you wanted, I fulfilled my purpose. Why won't you just allow my soul to rest?"

Bakura let go of the boy's wrists and leaned his face close to Ryou's whose breath hitched when the thief reached up to wipe away the tears sliding down his cheeks, he hadn't even realized he was crying. The former spirit of the ring starred into the frightened boy's eyes and whispered "Because you're mine." He backed away and stood, an evil grin twisting his sharp features. Ryou, no longer being held up by Bakura, slid down the wall into a sitting position and drew his knees up to his chest, keeping his eyes shut tightly. Bakura raised an eyebrow "Don't do that after all it's not going to be here much longer." Ryou looked up at him confused "What are you talking about?" The spirit jerked his head in the direction of the window "The moon, He's getting rid of it." The boy's eyes widened in alarm "What do you mean he's getting rid of it?" The tomb robber rolled his eyes "That's what I came to tell you" he smirked "you didn't expect him to keep it around forever, did you?"

His eyes filled with tears, he tried hard to control his breathing. 'No… it just can't be true, Bakura has to be lying!' he thought fearfully. This was all the light he had what was he going to do without it? Ryou stood up on shaky legs and gasped when he saw the moon was now dyed a horrible crimson color. "Hmmm, He's early" Bakura muttered behind him, but he barely heard him since he was too busy trying to process the horror unfolding before him. 'Please' he thought 'don't take it away'. The boy gasped again when he saw a large crack appear on the surface of his beloved light. Ryou gripped the hem of the curtain until his knuckles turned white. "Why?" he asked in a quivering voice. Bakura approached him from behind, his breath ghosting over the hikari's ear "He is having trouble rounding up the last of the souls, and while I prefer my prey to run and fight, Zorc loves for them to snivel and cower" Ryou furrowed his brows in confusion "What does that have to do with the-" "It gives them hope." The thief interrupted "And as is well known, hope gives the foolish morals enough reason to fight and rebel" The boy opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by the sound of a loud pain-filled scream. Ryou's eyes searched the ground below the window, but all he could see was a void of darkness. Bakura put his large hand on his shoulder "Come away from the window hikari." "Wait!" Ryou cried, clinging to the curtain. He looked back up to the sky only to find that the moon was not only covered in cracks, but crumbling to pieces. More screams filled the air and Bakura grunted in frustration "Damn it Ryou! Get away from the window! NOW!" The former spirit threw his arms around the smaller boys' middle, pinning his arms to his side and picked him up easily. "No!" Ryou yelled, kicking his legs, trying to get back to his light. Bakura continued to carry his former host out of his room and down the long stone corridor and once Ryou realized he was no longer in his own room he stopped struggling 'Where is he taking me?' He looked around frantically, trying to see where they were going. "I'm taking you to my room so quit your panicking!" Bakura replied in an annoyed tone.

They still had the mind link. Even though they had separate bodies they could still hear one another's thoughts, or at least, Bakura could still Ryou's. "Why?" he asked timidly. Bakura sighed loudly "Is that the only damn thing you can say?" Ryou heard a click as his yami opened the door that led into his room. "You can't go near the windows anymore, not unless you want Zorc to get ahold of that fragile little soul of yours." he paused "and don't get too excited Yadounshi, if He gets your soul then you will definitely never see the afterlife." Ryou cried out when Bakura suddenly dropped him, but was surprised when he landed on something soft. 'A bed? No, more like a big pile of assorted blankets and cushions'. Bakura spoke once more "All Zorc knows is how to devour the light, and you my dear little host, are now all that's left of the light in this world." Ryou starred in the direction of the voice "Then why bother keeping me around if I'm hindering your conquest for total darkness?" He the felt his yami slap his cheek, hard. "Someone's felling awfully bold tonight." he mused. Ryou felt tears gather behind his eyes for the third time that night. It wasn't the slap that hurt, no he was used to this type of behavior from the spirit, and after years spent being bullied he knew how to take a hit. No, he was crying because the light was gone, and soon the rest of humanity would be too.

"No more tears hikari" Ryou looked up "Y-y-you can s-see me?" he asked. Bakura scoffed "Well obviously. And would you stop that infernal stuttering!? I'd rather deal with your insolence than that pathetic stuttering habit of yours." Ryou willed himself to stop crying before he spoke again. "How can you see me through the dark?" Bakura growled "Oh, damn it Ryou, how many times do I have to tell you- I AM the darkness! The white haired boy flinched slightly and decided that it was probably best to keep quiet, so as not anger him further. "As if you could ever truly anger me Ryou," the tomb robber said in an amused tone. 'Stupid mind link' "if anything you just really irritate me." Ryou felt the make-shift bed sink next to him as his yami sat down closely to him. He tried to scoot away, but Bakura put an arm around his shoulder- stopping him almost instantly. The older one chuckled "Your fear is so incredibly endearing little one, but I can assure you, you are perfectly safe with me." He began once again to stroke the boy's soft white locks and Ryou could no longer hold back the violent tremors that now racked his frail body.

He didn't want to be here with Bakura in the abyss-like confines of the thief's room. Surely being a part of this unpredictable, bleak existence was a fate worse than death. Why did it seem like destiny had chosen him to suffer forever? Was fate truly that cruel? He was brought out of his hopeless musings when the white haired tomb robber once again chose to speak "Come now little one, You can't be afraid of the dark after living with it for so long?" Ryou bit his bottom lip, tearing it a little, the coppery taste of blood filled his mouth and he immediately felt sick as the horrid memories filled his head once again. He was going to go mad if he continued to live in the dark, or perhaps he already had. Yes, yes that must've been it! He was simply trapped in the dark and twisted corners of his mind- or maybe he was still in the shadow realm and his greatest fears and nightmares were being thrust before him in the fashion of a mock reality. No. No this was real, the images were too clear for this to be another nightmare.

The boy jumped and made a rather embarrassing squeak as he felt the former spirit of the ring wipe the blood away from the corner of his mouth. Bakura snorted at the weak minded mortal before him "I don't like being ignored Yadounshi." Ryou swallowed "S-s-sorry I hadn't realized you said something." Ryou could just imagine him rolling his eyes. "Well maybe if you'd just calm the fuck down you would have heard me say that I had a gift for you." The hikari's eyes widened in surprise. "A-a gift? W-w-what kind of g-gift?" he asked, suddenly afraid. "Quit stuttering, or I won't give it to you." The yami replied curtly. He felt Bakura stand up as soft clattering noises filled the room, he heard the thief mumbling under his breath "Oh, hell where did I put it…" A few more crashes and several curses later Bakura plopped down on the cushions next to the boy and tossed something into his lap. Carefully, Ryou reached one hand forward to touch whatever it was that Bakura seemed to qualify as a gift. It was made of cloth, almost like the material that had acted as a curtain for the window in his room. He continued to drag his hands along the fabric until he came across what seemed to be a rope tied around the top. 'So, a sack. A sack of what?' the hikari wondered. "Open it and find out little one." He heard Bakura say, the anticipation in his voice was apparent. 'Why is he so excited? What is he waiting for?' "Why for your reaction of course! Now quit acting so suspicious and open it already." 'Damn that accursed mind link' Ryou sighed softly and began undoing the knot tying the mysterious sack. When he finally got it loosened and the bag was open he couldn't help but hesitate again, but Bakura's patience wasn't all that reliable.

"Oh for Ra's sake, they're candles!" he snapped irritably. Ryou's mouth dropped open as he saw a spark of light. Bakura had struck a match. The tomb robber stuffed his hand into the sack, now visible, and pulled out a long thin candlestick. The now stunned hikari's eyes were immediately drawn to the light of the candle as he watched his yami place it in a thin candle holder. The spirit laughed at his former hosts' behavior. The small boy's brown eyes were completely transfixed on the orange glow of the flame. 'This must've been the way I seemed when I first seen Ryou after being trapped in the ring for five thousand years.' The thief thought with a smirk. "Well? Aren't you going to thank me?" Ryou blinked his eyes twice and looked up at his yami as if just remembering that Bakura was still there. "Did you say something Yami?" he inquired. Bakura raised an eyebrow "Ignoring me again?"

His eyes went wide with fear "I-I didn't hear you, I'm sorry Bakura." The spirit leaned in close to the boy's face studying his features "I suppose I can allow it since you looked so damn adorable when you were watching the candle." Ryou blushed and brown orbs remained locked with lavender for a few seconds longer before the thief stood straight up again and tossed him a box of matches. "Try to make those last until I get back." The boy furrowed his eyebrows "Where are you going?" Bakura adjusted his red robe and walked to the door "None of your damn business just shut up and play with your candles." he snapped irritably. Ryou looked down at the large sack still resting on his lap, then back at the spirit. He gave a small smile, "Thank you Bakura". The thief grunted, "Yeah whatever, just don't burn yourself, and try not to leave the room with those things lit." He opened the door and gave Ryou an intense glare "Don't leave go near the windows." he said before slamming the door behind him.

The hikari took a deep breath and sighed in relief, Ryou never felt safe with him around, especially now. He turned his back to the door, his eyes again being drawn to the candle. 'I just don't understand…' he thought to himself 'what in Ra's name would possess Bakura to give me something that would help me? What is he playing at, and more importantly, does he now expect something in return?' Ryou bit his lip 'What could I possibly have that my yami would want?' The boy groaned. He really did not want to have to think about any of that right now. He instead looked down into his lap at his new things and decided that counting them would be a good distraction. He dumped out the sack of candles and proceeded to count 'One, two, three, four,…'

A little while later the boy had finished. He had twenty-six candles in and eighteen matches. He turned his head to the door. Bakura had said to stay away from the windows unless he wanted Zorc to take his soul, but what did that mean? Was Zorc outside his window now? That thought was a little more than unsettling. Ryou gave a yawn and rubbed at his eyes. He was exhausted. He laid back against the cushions. Hopefully Bakura wouldn't mind him falling asleep here. He debated blowing out the candle, but decided against it, he'd spent enough time in the shadows. He turned on his side, eyes exploring the room. He'd never been in a room of Bakura's before. There were a few chests and sacks here and there but mostly the room was filled with gold and various treasures, which surrounded the nest of blankets that he was now laying on. 'He's like a bird, a magpie.' Ryou thought amused by his yami's kleptomaniac tendencies.

He was suddenly brought from his thoughts by a faint buzzing-feeling at the back of his skull. The boy's eyes were abruptly drawn to a smooth leather box resting on top of a large trunk, which stood at the far corner of the room. He stood up slowly and began walking toward it, the buzzing getting stronger with every step. It was as if his legs were moving on their own. When he finally got close enough to touch it the entire back of his head was throbbing. The black box wasn't very big, only a few inches longer than his hand. The boy reached out and carefully undid the latch at the end of it. Now usually he didn't go through other people's things, and he knew better than to touch anything that belonged (or was stolen by) Bakura, but whatever was in this box was calling out to him. The latch clicked and Ryou gently slipped off the lid, his heartbeat drumming loudly in his ears. He gasped and dropped the lid when he saw what lay inside.

A/N Cliffhanger! Can you guess what's in the box! Hey guys Sir Lofty here, hoped you enjoyed part 2 of 3 of Imaginary. I want to personally thank my two reviewers (you know who you are) you guys are so sweet. Please leave all of your questions, comments, concerns, complaints, and or compliments in the reviews. Until next time

Shits and Giggles -Lofty


	3. Imaginary Part 3

A/N Hello everyone, well here it is the third and final part to Imaginary. Sorry it took so long to update it, I feel awful leaving you guys with a cliff hanger. As it is stated in the summary this story was inspired by the song Imaginary by Evanescence and you're finally going to see some of that shine through in this chapter. This song is amazing and I knew that if I wrote a story for this song it could only ever be for Ryou. It has been so great seeing such positive responses to my first real story, so I'd like to thank each and every reader and reviewer. But remember this is only the first of many. I plan to write a lot of Yugioh, Vampire Knight, and Attack on Titan stories that may or may not be as depressing as this one. Well without further ramblings I give you…

Imaginary Part 3

Ryou looked down, shock etched into his pale features. His brown doe eyes were even wider than usual. There, lying carefully in the center of the box, was the Millennium Ring. He hadn't seen the ring since he and Bakura had separated. There were many questions going through his mind, but the most pressing one was why. Why had it been calling out to him like this? It's not like his soul was still attached to it, right? The boy reached a hand up to the thin material of his striped t-shirt. His pale fingers tracing over the scars that he knew rested on his chest. The scars that the ring had inflicted upon him the day he first met Yugi, the day he first heard Bakura's voice, the day he realized just how true the saying "Be careful what you wish for" really was. Ryou bit his lip, careful not to split it again.

If he had any sense he would've just put the lid back on and forgot all about it. 'But, then again, what do I really have to lose? And it must've been calling out to me for a reason' he thought to himself. After a few deep breaths Ryou reached a shaking hand toward the item and carefully picked it up. All at once the strange throbbing feeling in his head stopped. He looked down at it curiously for a moment before its center began to glow furiously. The hikari used his free hand to shield his eyes. He suddenly felt very weak, his legs gave out and he collapsed onto the cold hard floor. His eyes caught glimpse of the candle going out just before closing his heavy eyelids and losing concsiousness.

TIME SKIP-(About two weeks later)

Bakura walked through the unlit hallways a devilish smirk across his lips, his hands still trembling from the adrenaline. Hunting souls for Zorc was quickly becoming his new favorite hobby, well that and messing with his hikari. He just couldn't help himself, not when Ryou had now become so intriguing. It was amusing, watching his little light try to adapt to this new world. When he was first able to make contact with his host Bakura had every intention of simply using the boy's fragile body for his plans, discard his soul, and being done with the whole thing. But the boy had come to grow on him. He was so pure, kind, and even after living with an ancient thief for so long- had managed to stay that way. The boy had also proved to be far stronger than he originally thought, surviving things that would break a normal man's soul. Ryou was anything but normal though, he had been chosen by fate to be his hikari after all.

The tomb robber gave a tired sigh, now if he could only rid the boy of his suicidal mindset. He opened the door to his room and was surprised to find that it was dark. He'd given Ryou those candles a while long while ago and the boy usually had at least one candle going at all times, even while he slept. If the boy was stuck in the dark for even a second he would begin to panic. The thief rolled his eyes as he as he recalled the way Ryou had woken up out of a dead sleep when the candle went out and frantically rushed to get another lit. 'So what's wrong now?' he thought as he walked over to the "bed" in the middle of the room and lit a candle. There he was. Lying down against the cushions, eyes closed a peaceful look on his pale face. He looked down at the small hikari's chest. 'Ah, so that explains it' he thought as he eyed Ryou's hands which were clutching the Millennium Ring tightly to his chest.

His former host had found the ring the same night he'd first brought the boy to stay in his room. According to Ryou the ring had been calling out to him. Bakura sat down next to him and gently moved some hair off the younger's cheek. Ever since that night Ryou had been able to activate the ring at will. And for reasons unknown to the thief Ryou had been spending more and more time within the spiritual confines of the ring. Bakura just couldn't understand why his hikari would want to spend so much time away from him, the other half of his soul. Especially after all the years that his little one had spent alone one would expect for him to crave such companionship. Bakura scoffed and layed down on his side, watching the boy resting peacefully beside him. He extended his arm over the boy's torso and pulled him closer. No one would ever hurt Ryou again. He would make sure of that.

He killed all those who ridiculed him, tortured the annoying whelps that dared to call themselves Ryou's friends, and justly punished that spineless excuse of a father who had abandoned his host. 'I'm the only one who deserves Ryou. I protected him, saved him, I am the only one who can truly appreciate his gentle and kind hearted nature.' The former spirit of the ring closed his eyes, maybe he could allow his Yadounshi to stay in the soul room for a little while longer, he may not have been awake, but at least he was safe.

Meanwhile…

Ryou took a deep breath and allowed the gentle breeze to wash over him. He never thought that this place could be so peaceful, or so beautiful. Back when Bakura's spirit still inhabited the ring his soul room had been a cage, somewhere for the thief to lock his host away when he took control of his body. Ryou would spend what seemed like hours pounding against the door of his soul room, begging the white haired yami not to hurt anyone. And back then his soul room had taken on the appearance of his old room, the one he had shared with Amane back in England. The room that housed his spirit had now taken on an entirely different look. Ryou didn't even think this could qualify as a room anymore. It was more like a large field, with grassy hills and a few tall trees placed here and there. The sky was what really amazed him though. It was bright and dusted over in a shade of pale lilac and adorned with fluffy pink clouds.

The air was warm too, and flowed across his face in gentle breezes. He didn't even think a place like this could exist. It made absolutely no sense why his soul room would even look like this, but he wasn't going to complain. The ring had turned a place of imprisonment and fear to a place of peace and refuge. Being here away from the darkness was more than Ryou could have ever wished for. It made him feel stronger, being in such a safe place, like he could better take on the dark world that awaited him. The boy wasn't sure if there was any hope of saving the world from Zorc, but perhaps there was hope for himself. If he continued to fight against the shadows then maybe he could achieve his goal and be set free from this life. All he had to do was get away from Bakura. The thief was pretty much the only thing that stood between him and death. Ryou sighed and laid back against the soft green grass 'I'll worry about that later' he thought trying to cast all thoughts of his sadistic yami from his mind.

For now he would simply enjoy the safety and solitude that the ring was now providing for him. He stared up at the calming purple sky, of course his sister would insist that it was lavender, but arguing about details and technicalities was never really something he'd ever pursued, especially with Amane. But she would push the matter until she was convinced that she had swayed her older brother's soft spoken opinion and made sure that he wasn't simply agreeing with her to make her happy. Ryou smiled. Lavender had been Amane's favorite color and when he had found that out the small boy had gone out of his way to make sure that everything he gave her was that color. Flowers, pictures he drew or colored, stuffed animals, anything to make his dear little sister smile. But she was the same way with him.

FLASHBACK (Seven years ago)

'Why do they hate me so much. I've never done anything to them.' Ryou thought as he rubbed at the black and purple bruise forming on his cheek. Tears spilled over onto his cheeks making the cuts sting, the pain furthering his sadness. 'It's not my fault I have white hair and do I really look so much like a girl?' Ryou chocked out a sob. The kids knew that he was quiet and shy, they knew he wouldn't fight back thus the boy became a primary target for the cruel bullies that were in his class. 'I hope I can hide this from Mum and Dad' he thought remembering the first time he'd come home with visible bruises and cuts. His mother had fussed and babied him while his father had scolded him for not fighting back, which had in turn caused them to argue for hours. 'I don't want them to fight because of me.' Ryou wiped at his dripping nose and couldn't fight back his sobs.

"Ryou?" a small voice asked from the door way of the bedroom. "Amane?" he said suddenly panicked. "Ryou, why are you crying? Are you hurt?" Ryou buried his face into his knees "No I'm fine Amane. I'm not crying." The small white haired girl sat down next to him on the floor. "But I heard you" she placed her small hand on his face and gently lifted it, but it was still too much pressure and Ryou winced, snapping his head up quickly, letting a small grunt of pain escape his lips. Amane gasped when she seen the cuts and bruises that covered her older brother's face. She had never seen her brother cry before, it bothered her. "Please Amane, you, you can't tell mum or dad." Her eyes widened "But you're hurt big brother." He sniffed and put his face in his hands "Please." Her eyes softened and she nodded "Okay I won't tell them. Is there anything you want me to do for you?" He shook his head "No, why don't you go play. I-I kinda want to be by myself." "Umm, okay Ryou" reluctantly the young girl stood and with one last concerned glance left the room.

A while later Ryou felt a small finger poking at his head. "Ryou? Ryou wake up." He heard a quiet voice say. The boy opened his eyes. He had cried himself to sleep not long after he shooed Amane away. "What is it Amane?" he sat up and rubbed at his eyes forgetting about the bruise on his cheek. "Ouch" His sister winced "Sorry I really didn't want to wake you up, but Mummy said dinner was almost done. I didn't want her to come in here and wake you." Ryou yawned "It's okay. I'm glad you did. Could you tell her I don't feel well?" he asked quietly. "Sure…I uh, I have a surprise for you Ryou." Amane said excitedly. "What kind of surprise?" the boy asked suddenly curious. She bit her lip "Close your eyes and hold out your hands." Ryou did as instructed and waited patiently.

He felt something drop into his hand and instinctively opened his eyes. There sitting in the middle of his hand was a small white paper flower about the size of his palm. Their mother had been teaching his sister how to make them and said girl had felt rather accomplished when she'd finally completed her first one a month ago. The girl looked at him expectantly "Do you like it?" she asked. 'She did this for me' he smiled and looked up "Of course I do. It's beautiful." She smiled and crawled up onto his lap, stroking the top of his head in the same manner his mother would. "Do you feel better now Ryou?" The boy gave a wide smile "Yes. Thank you Amane" he said wrapping his arms around her.

From that day forward it became a sort of routine for Amane to cover for Ryou whenever he came home with bruises and to give him a carefully folded paper flower whenever she knew her older brother needed cheering up. And it never failed to bring a smile to his face when she did so. He kept each flower too. Saving them in a simple cardboard shoebox where he put all of his treasured gifts that Amane had given him.

On the day she and his mother had died Ryou had taken the shoebox, dumped its contents on his bed and lay down on the various drawings, toys, and paper flowers. He'd stayed there for hours, hoping the gifts that his sister had given him would grant him the same warm feeling that he'd gotten when he first received them, but paper flowers could no longer bring happiness. Even worse was the fate of his treasures. Ryou's father had taken their deaths far worse, and in his pain and grief he had gotten rid of any and all things that even remotely reminded him of his late wife and daughter, including Ryou's box. Though the boy had been able to sneak away several photos, he was deeply upset by the loss of something that connected him so strongly to his beloved Amane. And in times when Ryou felt most miserable he would try his absolute hardest to fold his own paper flowers, but he never could get it quite right. In the end he would hold the failed flower in trembling hands and sob for hours, wishing that Amane or his mother would come through his door to comfort him just as they always had.

FLASHBACK END

Ryou sniffed and wiped away a stray tear. He stood up- 'It's time to go back'. As appealing as it was to remain in the soul room, he knew he couldn't stay here forever. Besides Bakura would have probably returned by now and Ryou didn't want to make the thief angry by ignoring him.

Ryou opened his eyes and glanced around the dimly lit room. That was odd, if he had been gone as long as he thought then the candle should've gone out hours ago. Ryou sighed, 'Just when I thought I had some concept of time.' He had to sit up, but something was keeping him from doing so. He turned his head and nearly gasped when he saw Bakura sleeping next to him. He glanced down and saw that the thief's arm was draped across his chest. 'Did Bakura do that in his sleep, or… did he actually mean to hold me?' The hikari took a deep breath 'Why does he have to be so damn unpredictable?' he thought frustrated.

"Cursing Yadounshi? I must've made you really mad." Ryou jumped up at the sound of Bakura's sleep-filled voice. "I, I didn't realize you were awake." Bakura opened his eyes and brushed at the boy's white bangs "I wasn't But you were thinking rather loudly" Ryou sat up. "Sorry" he looked down and saw that he was still holding the ring "D-did you uh… did you want this back?" The thief scoffed and sat up. "Why the fuck would I want that wretched thing back?" The boy looked down "I…I just figured-" "I don't need hikari." Bakura interrupted "It doesn't hold any power for me anymore and it makes me want to re-kill that Ra damned Pharaoh every time I look at it." He stood and ran a hand through him dull white hair. 'Then why keep it?' Ryou thought curiously. The tomb robber gave an angry sigh "You ask too many questions" Ryou also gave a sigh "To be fair I didn't really ask that one, I was just wondering." Bakura looked at him, his piercing gaze as unreadable as ever. The hikari looked away from those calculative lavender eyes, but the second he did he felt his yami's hand slap his cheek with so much force that it knocked him off the pile of cushions. Ryou gasped, but otherwise didn't react. He had expected Bakura would respond that way. He sat up slowly and rubbed at his cheek 'oh no'. His eyes went wide as the bitter taste of blood filled his mouth.

/Blood. Blood everywhere/ He shut his eyes /On the floor. Splattered all over the walls/ His breath became shallow and uneven. /All over him. Red. Sticky. Staining his pale skin and white hair. Blood. /Ryou trembled in fear as the memories became more vivid. /So much blood. Whose? Whose blood was this? No, whose wasn't it? /Tears streamed down his face. He heard a voice yelling his name, but it sounded distant. He could barely hear it over the screaming. Screaming. 'Oh god' /Pain dulled screams engulfed the air around him. His friends, every last one of them had seen him chained to the adjacent wall, and screamed his name. Pleaded for his help. But he couldn't help. Couldn't move. All he could do was watch. He was useless. He couldn't save his mother or Amane, couldn't make himself worthy enough for his father's love and affection, couldn't make or keep friends, couldn't defend himself against the bullies, couldn't stop Bakura from taking over his body, couldn't protect himself or others, couldn't save them. No one deserved death more than Ryou. No one wanted death more than Ryou and yet he was the only one allowed to live. /"I'm sorry! Please! I- I'm so sorry!"

Bakura watched completely dumbfounded as Ryou cried and screamed. Had the boy finally snapped? No he'd heard the boy cry out like this before rather often actually. This was just the first time the former spirit had seen it happen in person, but what could've triggered it? He hit Ryou all the time and the boy had never reacted like this. It was both entertaining and a little unnerving seeing just how thoroughly he had broken the boy. Well he knew that his former host was screwed up in the head, hell how could he not be, but seeing Ryou like this… made it real. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head amusement mixing with annoyance. The boy continued to scream. He hadn't meant to cause the boy any pain, well he had but not like this.

A healthy dose of fear was fine, this wouldn't work if Ryou didn't fear him to some degree- this however was a little much. He walked over to the shaking form and lifted him up carefully. Ryou was too lost within his mind to notice anything else. He set him back up on the cushions and picked up the Millennium Ring which the boy had dropped when he was hit. Bakura sat near the white haired boy and took a breath. A bright light encompassed the room as he activated the ring's power. Almost instantly, Ryou stopped crying and his eyes glazed over. It reminded the thief of the way the boy looked when he was about to take control of his body, he smirked 'Ah, memories'. Separated or not he still had the power to send the boy away to his soul room and at this point it was the only way he was going to get the boy to calm down. Bakura was far from the comforting, compassionate type.

Ryou became still and closed his eyes once again falling under the guise of a peaceful sleep. Bakura stood and put his robe back on. He was definitely going to question the boy when he  
"woke up". He set the ring next to the boy's head, wiped away the tears trailing down his cheeks, and turned to leave. Bakura however, did not hear the clattering noise as something fell out of the folds of his crimson robe.

Ryou jerked forward into a sitting position breathing heavily. He looked around, disoriented and confused. He saw the open field, the lavender sky, the pink candy colored clouds, 'My soul room' he concluded. He exhaled trying to steady his breath. 'How did I get here?' The last thing that he remembered was Bakura, hitting him, and then… "Bakura must have sent me here" He said aloud. Ryou ran a hand through his hair and shook his head 'I am so stupid' he hadn't meant to freak out like that. The last thing he needed was to appear more vulnerable to the thief than he already was. Ryou clenched his jaw 'He'll want an explanation' he thought 'and the sooner I give it the better it will be for me…but, I don't want to go back just yet.'

Ryou closed his eyes, hoping to bask in the relative peace that this place gave him, but rather than feeling the warm gentle breeze over his face, he felt a biting cold gust of wind hit him full force. His eyes snapped open and dread filled his heart. 'No, why is…?' There standing on the other side of the field, was his yami. He stood, white hair and blood red robe billowing with the wind, an all too familiar smirk pulling on his lips. "Hello Yadounshi," he said mockingly. Ryou's eyes widened "Wha, w-what are you doing here?" his voice came out much stronger than he felt. Bakura had said he didn't want anything more to do with the Millennium Ring and yet, here he stood, in Ryou's soul room no less. The sadistic tomb robber's smirk morphed into a fear inducing grin. "I came to see you my little light." He replied looking around "You know, only you could turn such a dark evil magic and turn it into something like this." He looked straight into Ryou's terrified brown orbs "Such a shame it has to go."

Ryou's chest clenched in fear "No you, you can't…!" The former spirit shrugged "Sorry, but now that the rest of the pathetic mortals have perished Zorc wants all forms of light gone." The boy shivered as Bakura walked over to him, a predatorily look in his eye. When he finally stood directly in front of the boy he let out a low chuckle. "But Zorc never said I had to kill you, just the light." Ryou backed away "What are you going to do?" he asked trying not to appear as weak as he felt. The yami snorted "I'm going to break your spirit" he sighed contently "I will enjoy this immensely." Ryou continued to back away but ended losing his footing and fell onto his back. His eyes were drawn to the sky and he nearly cried. The once beautiful purple sky was now dyed in that godforsaken blood color. Bakura advanced and loomed over the distraught hikari "I-I h-h-hate you…" he choked out, tears sliding down his face. Bakura's grin stretched across his scarred features. "I certainly hope so," He laughed "otherwise this would probably be absolutely no fun at all."

Ryou sat up and tried to scoot away, only to be stopped by a large tree. He used it to help himself stand on his violently shaking knees. He looked around his soul room, the grass and trees were beginning to turn to ash and the sky blazed red. Then all of the sudden the hikari's head was filled with a horrible pain that brought him to his knees in agony. He cried out as it intensified and through it all, could hear that haunting maniacal laugh belonging to Bakura. "Your soul must have been tied deeply to this place if you feel so much pain at its destruction. Your foolishness never ceases to amaze hikari!" Pain mixed with rage as the tomb robber continued to speak. "Why was I chosen for this? Why must I alone be forced to exist beside this demon?!' Ryou thought angrily.

But as quickly as the blinding pain in his head had formed it stopped and the dying world around him along with Bakura's voice began to fade into the shadows. And for a split second he thought (hoped) he had died, but that thought was easily discarded when he opened his eyes around him to find his yami's dimly lit bedroom. The boy sat up and gasped when he saw that the Millennium Ring had been destroyed as well, leaving behind a pile of ash its place. Ryou's eyes filled with tears and he began to sob, but he noticed that Bakura wasn't even there. Despair and anger filled Ryou's veins "Damn you!" he cried out. All at once Ryou stood and began throwing and breaking anything he could get his hands onto, screaming as he did so.

Eventually running out of strength, the boy collapsed, absolutely exhausted. He was shaking, tears had long ago run dry and he felt numb, both physically and emotionally. He turned his head to the door, still trying to catch his breath and caught sight of something glinting in the dying candle light. Slowly he sat up and scooted toward it he reached out to grab it but instantly recoiled when he felt it cut him. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as a small amount of blood trickled down his hand. He reached out again more cautiously this time. His eyes widened when he identified the object. He had seen this before, many times in fact.

It was Bakura's dagger.

The one used on Ryou as punishment for not listening.

The one used to torture and kill his friends.

And now…the one that would save Ryou from this hell.

The boy smiled "Thank you…"

Bakura was walking through the corridors satisfied. It was now done. The work that he'd promised when he exchanged his soul in order to get his revenge, was at last done. The Pharaoh was dead, humanity gone, and the light, extinguished. It was over he won, Zorc won. The thief smiled. Now it was just a matter of dealing with his broken hikari. He could hear him screaming and yelling earlier. It would have been fun to see that.

But something was off. Bakura stopped in his tracks. He couldn't quite understand what it was but… "Aaah" the former spirit cried out. A burning pain rocketed through his left arm, and then the other. 'What's happening?' he thought, puzzled. "Ryou" he searched through their mind link but only found a similar pain and a relative peace radiating through the boy's soul. 'Wait, where's…?' he searched frantically through the folds of his robe. His knife was gone! "No! Ryou! Don't!" Panic filled his soulless being as he began to run as fast as he could.

Just as he rounded the corner leading to his room another burst of pain came. This time from his chest, and it was even more painful than the first. Breathing became more difficult. Struggling to stay on his feet he pressed on. When he got to the door he could no longer support his own weight and fell to the floor as the door opened. "Ryou…" he rasped. "NO!"

There, lying on the floor, surrounded by a pool of his own blood, was Ryou. Bakura crawled over to him. Ryou had used the thief's dagger to not only slit his wrists, but stab himself straight through the heart. It hadn't taken long for death to claim his former host "Damn you… you ungrateful little brat." Bakura tried in vain to shake the blood stained boy awake but as he did so felt his own strength fade away. And after a few more moments silence encompassed the room as both yami and hikari lay dead.

Ryou hadn't known that as he ended his life, he was also ending Bakura's. He didn't know that the mighty King of Thieves life was still connected to his own. That was the real reason Bakura kept him alive. The reason that Bakura had even convinced himself that Ryou was worth the trouble. Because in the end Ryou had always held the life of this great evil in his hands. In the end it was really Ryou who had won simply by achieving a dream of freedom.

A/N Awww, Ryou. (sniffs) Gosh, I hate writing character death, but I suppose it was worth it since it was technically a happy ending. Man I can't believe I finished my first real story on this site. Well, I hope you all enjoyed reading this story, I've had a great time reading all the reviews and seeing how many people were actually into this. Please leave any and all questions, comments, concerns, complaints, and or compliments in the reviews. (And yes, I am well aware of the fact that I made Bakura a little OOC, but hey, that's why it's called fanfiction. Am I right?) Until next time. Shits and Giggles –Lofty

P.S. Be on the look out for my next fics. A Yugioh Pride/Scandalshipping oneshot entitled Under Wraps and a Vampire Knight oneshot involving Senri Shiki called You're So Creepy.


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